by Debra Webb
Sylvia shot him a glare. “Emma James. The little girl in the photo.”
“She went missing the year before Dorie.”
“That’s right,” Dan said in answer to Jess’s observation. She looked so tired. He hated that some sick fuck was doing this to her. “He’s taunting us with a trip down memory lane.”
“The delivery was made personally this time,” Jess said quietly, as if she were thinking aloud. Her voice was thin, anguished. No one wanted to investigate cases like this, but these children deserved the best on their side.
“He may have paid someone to make the delivery for him,” Dan countered. Walking up to Lily’s door when she was home was taking a risk. Then again, at that time of night most were distracted by television or preparing for bed.
Jess shook her head. “He wouldn’t share any part of this with anyone else. I’m certain he made the delivery himself. His every step is careful, methodical.”
Dan laughed, a painful sound even to his own ears. “And he wants to share his accomplishments with you.” How the hell was he supposed to protect her until they found this bastard?
“We will find him, Dan,” Jess said as if she’d read his mind. “He doesn’t know it yet, but he’s helping us along.”
Dan held up his hands. Couldn’t say what was on his mind in front of Sylvia. The associate medical examiner knew too much about him and his relationship with Jess already. She didn’t need to know he was out of his mind with worry. Hell, he hadn’t slept at all last night. From the looks of her, Jess hadn’t, either.
“I have to tell you, Harris,” Sylvia said, as she folded her arms over her chest and pointed an accusing look at Jess, “you certainly know how to keep life interesting. In all my years in this office, I have never had so many back-to-back—how shall I put this—completely bizarre cases. You should have your own reality series.”
Jess forged a quick smile. “I’ve made it my mission in life to make sure you’re never bored again, Doctor.”
“What’re your preliminary conclusions on the remains?” Dan decided this might be a good time to draw the conversation back to the case. He was relatively certain Jess was not in the mood for pithy remarks. He definitely wasn’t.
Sylvia took his pointed question in stride. “No visible fractures or damage.” As she spoke she studied what she had to work with on the table. “I’ll do what I can, but there’s really nothing left to give us any firm answers. There are other tests that take time which might give us something, but I wouldn’t count on it.”
“I guess we’ll know what happened when I catch him,” Jess announced. She turned to Dan. “I thought Chief Black was meeting us here.”
“He’s here,” Sylvia answered before Dan could. “He got a call just before you arrived. He’s using my office.”
“I’ll give him an update and find out what’s happened now.” Dan headed for the exit before Jess could decide to tag along. He needed a few minutes alone with Black. What he really needed was some distance to get his emotions in check.
The long white corridor was deserted. Dan hated the smell and the total absence of color. If he had the time he’d step outside for some air. It was driving him crazy to have Jess trapped in the crosshairs of two damned killers. She refused to listen to reason. She wanted to work. He had tried every way under the sun to dissuade her but that wasn’t happening.
Harold Black exited Sylvia’s office just as Dan reached the door.
“It’s Emma James. Sylvia just confirmed.”
Harold exhaled a weary breath. “I suspected that would be the case. What is this monster doing?”
“Whatever it is, I don’t think he’s anywhere near finished.”
“He has at least eighteen more victims,” Harold agreed. “Enough to make a delivery about every other night until the harvest moon.”
“I’m just praying he doesn’t do any shopping.” How the hell were they supposed to find him in the next month when dozens of cops hadn’t been able to in the last thirty years? Dan wanted to kick something.
“I hope we’ll be so lucky.” Harold scrubbed his hand across his face. “On top of that, we have a development in the Allen investigation. I got a call from Detective Roark. With this”—Harold gestured toward the room Dan had just left—“and the Spears case, I put Roark as lead on Allen’s disappearance.”
They could use a break in that case as well. The idea that one of his cops may have been in bed with the very criminal element he was tasked to investigate was tough to swallow. Yet that was one of the avenues that had to be investigated. Jess’s clash with Allen and Lopez complicated matters. Certain circumstantial evidence indicated Allen had a grudge against Jess and had attempted to act on it. Whatever he’d been up to, finding him was the first step in getting some answers.
“A jogger found Allen’s cell phone this afternoon. Called the contact listed as ‘wife.’ ”
Dan perked up. This could turn into a solid lead. “Anything on the phone salvageable?”
“We don’t know about that yet, but Roark has delivered it to Vernon at the lab.”
If there was anything to be found on the device, Ricky Vernon would find it. “This could be the break we need.”
Harold nodded. “It could be. You’re right.”
The other man’s inability to maintain eye contact warned there was more. “But…,” Dan prompted.
“The troubling part is where they found the damned thing, Dan.”
Dan’s spine went rigid. “Where the hell did they find it?”
Harold frowned. “Was today trash pickup day in your neighborhood?”
What was he getting at? Dan was too damned tired for beating around the bush. “As a matter of fact, it was—what about it?” And then he knew. As if the thought had slammed into his brain like a bullet… he understood what his friend was getting at.
“Your trash can was overturned, some of the contents scattered over the end of your driveway and into the street.” He managed a dim smile. “You know how sanitation workers are, they aren’t picking up what falls out. So, this jogger spotted the phone. There was blood, Dan. The lab has already confirmed it’s a match to Allen’s blood type. We’ll know more in a day or two.”
In other words they’d had this phone for hours. Harold had known it was found in front of Dan’s house but he hadn’t bothered to tell him until now. The urge to laugh came hard and fast. Instead, he held up a hand to stop whatever Harold had to say next. “Just let me know when Vernon gives you something.”
Harold nodded. “Will do.” He scrubbed at his jaw. “If you don’t object, I’d prefer to notify the James family personally. I worked this case when that little girl went missing. I know these people.”
“Of course. You should take care of that.”
“I hate to wake anyone at this ungodly hour,” Harold confessed with a sigh, “but I don’t want them hearing this any other way.”
Every one of those families would be watching and waiting for more developments. They had the right to know as soon as humanly possible. The anguish on the faces of those who had showed up at his office would haunt Dan for the rest of his life.
Harold hesitated. “There’s one other thing, Dan.”
For the love of God. He hoped it wasn’t more questions about how Allen’s cell phone ended up in or near Dan’s trash. His bullshit meter was maxed out. “What else?”
“Some of the parents have retained Buddy Corlew’s services.” Harold shook his head. “I don’t have to remind you that we got our first glimpse that he wasn’t cut out to serve the citizens of Birmingham back when he was involved in the Man in the Moon investigation. We made a serious mistake by underestimating how far down he would go.”
Dan remembered all too well. Corlew had been a respected detective when Emma James went missing. Nine years later Dan was tasked with the unsavory job of firing him. It was a sad day when a cop was kicked off the force. But he wasn’t wasting any sympathy on Corlew. If he kept pushin
g the idea that the department was the problem, Dan was going to personally see that he got the message to back off.
Maybe he should have done that a long time ago. Truth was, he’d pretty much ignored the guy until he started trying to draw Jess into his schemes.
“His involvement concerns me,” Harold said, pulling Dan from his troubling thoughts.
“You’re worried about what exactly?” Dan needed him to be specific. Though he hated for any of the victims’ families to throw their money away on the likes of Buddy Corlew, it was a free country.
“I’m concerned that in his continued attempts to make the department look bad, he’ll hurt these parents, and they’ve already suffered the unthinkable. He’s carrying a grudge, Dan. He will use anyone or anything to bring us down.”
Dan held up both hands. “All right. I’ll talk to him.”
“I’d feel better if you did.”
“Consider it done.”
When Harold was on his way, Dan went in search of Jess. He hadn’t gotten far when she found him.
“Sylvia’s going to stay with Emma. Since she has two sets of remains now, she’s hoping to find some common characteristics. The tiniest speck that might provide insight into how or where these children died.”
“Maybe we’ll get lucky and she’ll find something.” He hesitated but decided there was no reason to talk about the update he’d gotten from Black. No use adding that to her plate tonight. “Why don’t I take you home with me? We’ll get a few hours’ sleep and then we’ll swing by your place before going to the office.”
“My place will be just fine,” she informed him with a look that warned she wasn’t fooled by his avoidance of the subject. “Did Black have news I should know about?”
Hiding anything from Jess was futile. He should know better by now. “They found Allen’s cell phone.”
Her eyes gave away the dread before she said a word. “Where?”
“That’s the interesting part.” He guided her toward the exit. “In my trash.”
Shock widened her eyes. “What?”
“That’s what the man said.”
In the parking area she hesitated before climbing into his SUV. “Now maybe everyone in the department will stop looking at me as if I killed him.” She smiled up at him. “They can look at you that way instead.”
“Get in,” he ordered, not amused.
“Just saying.”
By the time he’d navigated onto the street, she’d relaxed into the passenger seat and closed her eyes. She was tired. He didn’t see how she was holding it together. After all those years living away, he’d talked her into coming here to help with a case. Once that case was done, he’d persuaded her to stay.
For this. One nightmare after the other.
He fought the anger, mostly at himself, and then the new burst of fear dumped another layer of emotion on him. He wanted to put a bullet right between Spears’s eyes. But first he wanted to find this so called Man in the Moon and tear his heart out with his bare hands.
He gritted his teeth. Dial it back a notch. Between now and daylight he needed to find control again. Maintaining his cool had never been a problem. Until now. He glanced at his passenger. But then he’d never had to worry about keeping Jess safe before. It was one of the hardest tasks he’d ever faced.
That old-phone ringtone jangled from the big bag she carried. Jess snapped her head up and dug for her phone.
It was only a couple of hours before daybreak, and they didn’t need any more trouble tonight.
“No, Sergeant. It’s okay. I’m not home yet.”
Harper. The evidence techs had found something. Dan’s pulse rate accelerated.
“All right.” She listened for a bit. “Thank you. See you at eight.”
She put her phone away and sat quietly for a moment before passing along the news. “The perp left us another clue as to why he’s come forward after all these years.”
Dan frowned. The newspapers. Oh hell.
“Like the ones with Dorie Myers’s remains, the newspapers all contained headlines about the disappearance of Emma James. No fingerprints yet. But he used a pencil to circle letters and words on some of the pages. Harper put them letters together and came up with a message.”
Her voice was so thin that Dan almost stopped the vehicle so he could look her in the eyes. When she didn’t go on, he pushed, “Just tell me.”
“This is all for you, Jess.”
Neither said a word the rest of the way to her place. Dan knew if he said anything he’d say too much. When he turned into the drive on Conroy Road, the surveillance cruiser was in place. He wished that made him feel even one iota better. The Birmingham Police Department was staffed with the best, from the patrol cops to the deputy chiefs. But Spears had bested all who had attempted to catch him from the FBI to local law enforcement. He had endless resources and backup plans for every imaginable scenario. And now he had friends watching Jess.
“You don’t need to walk me to the door,” she complained as he came around to her side of the vehicle. “It’s almost daylight.”
“You don’t want the officer over there to think I’m not a gentleman, do you?” He moved ahead of her and led the way across the yard.
“Fine,” she grumbled, tagging along behind him.
At the top of the stairs leading to her apartment she handed him the keys. Once inside, he entered the code for the alarm. He was glad she’d gotten the security system installed. He wasn’t convinced that would be enough but it helped.
Without a word she dug her weapon from her bag then dropped the bag on the floor. When she’d tucked the Glock under her pillow she started peeling off clothes. She kicked off her sneakers and wiggled out of the jeans. If he hadn’t been so mesmerized by her every move she might not have turned around to find his jaw gapping.
“There’s a spare key in the freezer. Lock up on your way out, Dan. I’m done.” She climbed into the bed wearing nothing but that old gray tee and flashy pink panties.
Had to be the exhaustion speaking. She’d just given him a key to her place. He wasn’t sure whether to be pleased or worried. “You need anything?”
“No.” Her voice was muffled by the mound of pillows she’d burrowed into.
“G’night,” he offered.
This time all he got was a grunt.
He reached for the quilt to cover her up but hesitated. He should be ashamed of himself but he couldn’t help admiring those long, toned legs and the curve of her bottom. The desire to crawl in bed beside her was nearly overwhelming, but she was armed and he wasn’t taking any chances.
Careful not to disturb her, he covered her and left a kiss against her hair. After he’d reset the alarm and locked up, he turned out the lights and stretched out on the sofa.
She might just shoot him in the morning anyway, but at least he would get a few hours’ sleep without worrying if she was safe.
9:20 a.m.
Jess considered each photo Spears had sent her. Each woman looked to be early to midtwenties. All had long dark hair and would comfortably fit into the category of gorgeous.
Spears wouldn’t be interested if they weren’t beautiful, intelligent, and gifted in some way. He always chose women who intrigued him. Since Jess didn’t know their names or anything else about these women it was impossible for her to hazard a guess as to which one would end up a part of his deadly game.
She had inspected these photos again and again in hopes of noticing something that made one of the women stand out, but there was nothing.
“You ready?”
Startled by the sound of Lori’s voice, Jess jerked to attention. “I’m sorry. What did you say?” It wasn’t until she looked around that she realized they were no longer moving. Lori had parked the Mustang.
“This is the Myerses’ residence. Are you ready to go in?”
“Yes. Sorry. I was lost in thought.” Jess shoved her cell phone into her bag. Where was her mind?
With Spears
, apparently.
“Are you okay, Jess?”
She hesitated, her hand on the door handle. Lori rarely called her by her first name when they were on duty. “I’m fine.”
“If there’s anything you need to talk about…,” she offered, worry darkening her green eyes.
Jess wondered if her friend would regret having asked if Jess just flat out told her all that was on her mind. From the never-ending nightmare with Spears to this new horror with the Man in the Moon. Or what if she just up and announced that a new day had come and there was still no sign of her period? Would Lori look at Jess differently then? After all, she was unquestionably old enough to know better than to allow this to happen.
Forty-two, divorced… how stupid could she get? The Pill had been a mainstay in her life almost as long as she’d had a driver’s license. How had she allowed this to happen?
Daniel Burnett had no idea how lucky he was to have escaped this morning with his hide still intact. It wasn’t so much that he’d slept on her couch that made her mad as hell, it was the idea that she hadn’t gotten even a minute of privacy to bemoan the fact that her period remained MIA.
“Thanks.” Jess marshaled a smile she hoped covered a multitude of worries. “I’m just a little distracted.”
Lori reached across the console and patted her arm. “You’re a hell of a lot stronger than me. I can tell you that. I don’t see how you’re keeping it together to proceed with this investigation. I’d be running for the hills, screaming at the top of my lungs.”
“If I stopped working,” Jess assured her, “I’d really lose my mind. Then I’d be running for the hills.” She surveyed the rambling farmhouse that sat on thirty acres well outside Birmingham proper. “Stopping isn’t an option. Not for me and not for those little girls. Come on—” she opened her door “—let’s get this done.”
Mrs. Myers had agreed to an interview. She and her husband lived alone in the big old house. Their only other child, a son, was away at college, like Lily’s kids. God, how fast they grew up. And Jess had missed so much.
She had a lot of making up to do with her small family.